What a translation Statement of Truth means for UK civil and family courts, what the CPR and FPR ask of the translator, and when to use a named translator.
A translation Statement of Truth is how a UK court gets a named person to stand behind a translation. Visa caseworkers are content with a company certificate; courts want to know which individual translated the document and to have that person confirm it's accurate. This guide explains what the Civil Procedure Rules and Family Procedure Rules say about translated witness statements, how that differs from the evidence you exhibit, and when you need our court option rather than a standard certified translation.
It's a signed statement by the individual translator, attached to the translation, confirming that the translation is accurate and complete. UK courts expect to know who translated a document, so a named translator signs it personally rather than a company signing on their behalf.
For a visa, the Home Office is satisfied by a dated translation with a confirmation of accuracy, the translator's or an authorised company official's name and signature, and contact details. Courts set the bar a little differently. A judge may need to rely on the translation as evidence, and if anyone challenges it, the court wants a named individual who did the work and is prepared to say so.
That's what our court, divorce and family proceedings option provides: a named translator who signs the translation with a Statement of Truth. Our legal translation service explains the format, and the order page asks which option you need before you pay.
Practice Direction 32 says a witness statement must be drafted in the witness's own language. If it's in a foreign language, the party relying on it must have it translated and file the foreign-language statement with the court, and the translator must sign the original statement and certify that the translation is accurate.
That last part surprises people. In civil proceedings the translator doesn't just sign the English version; they sign the original foreign-language statement too, so the court can see the two documents belong together. The witness's own statement of truth also has to be in their own language: the witness confirms they believe the facts are true, and the translator confirms the English says the same thing.
Affidavits follow a stricter path. Where an affidavit is in a foreign language, the translator must make and file an affidavit of their own verifying the translation, exhibiting both the translation and a copy of the original. If you've been asked for a sworn affidavit of translation rather than a signed statement, tell us before you order so we can confirm what's needed.
Slightly. Practice Direction 22A of the Family Procedure Rules says that where an affidavit or statement is in a foreign language, the party relying on it must have it translated and file the foreign-language version, and the translator must sign the translation to certify that it is accurate.
Family proceedings cover divorce, financial remedy, and arrangements for children, so the documents are often personal: a foreign marriage certificate, a statement from a relative abroad, school or medical records for a child. The translation rule is short and clear, and our court option is built around it.
For the divorce application itself, GOV.UK asks for your original marriage certificate or a certified copy, with a certified translation if it isn't in English. Our divorce certificate translation service handles both sides of that: translating the foreign certificate for a UK divorce, and translating a foreign divorce for later use. If you're going through this, we'll keep it straightforward, and you can ask us anything on WhatsApp or by email before you order.
Courts generally need an English translation of any foreign-language document a party relies on, and a named translator's Statement of Truth is the safest format to file. The exact requirements can depend on the court and the direction given, so check with your solicitor or the court.
The rules quoted above are about witness statements and affidavits. Exhibits are a broader category: bank statements in a financial disclosure, a foreign court order, contracts, messages, medical reports. Courts usually make specific directions about evidence, and your solicitor will know what has been ordered in your case. We'd rather point you to them than guess.
What we can say is that a named-translator translation with a Statement of Truth meets the strictest version of what courts ask for, so it rarely needs redoing. Our guide to court document translation explains how to pick which pages of a long file actually need translating.
Usually not. UK courts don't use the European sworn-translator system, and the rules for witness statements ask for the translator's signed certification, not a notary. Notarisation is mainly needed when a document is going abroad, or when a court or the other side specifically asks for it.
Sworn translators are an institution in Spain, Germany, France and much of Europe, and they're the right choice when a document is going to a court there. Here, the translator's own signed certification is what the rules describe. Our article on whether you need a sworn translation explains the differences country by country.
Notarisation in England adds a notary's confirmation of the translator's identity and signature. It doesn't make the translation more accurate, and it does add cost and time. If a solicitor has specifically asked for a notarised translation, our notarised translation service can provide one. Otherwise, the court option is usually the right fit.
Our court, divorce and family proceedings option is £41.99 per page, with a named translator and a Statement of Truth, delivered within one working day. There's no same-day rush on this option, because the translator has to review and sign every page personally.
Court files can be long, and the per-page price adds up quickly, so it pays to be selective. Translate the documents you're actually filing or relying on, not the whole bundle. A judgment you're referring to might only need its operative pages, and a long bank statement exhibit might only need the months in issue. Your solicitor can help you narrow it down.
Put every document for the case in one order, so the same translator signs them all and the names, dates and legal terms are consistent from start to finish. Every document includes two free revisions. You can get an instant quote by uploading the files and choosing the court option.
Choose standard certified translation for visa, Home Office, university, employer and bank use. Choose the court option for UK courts, tribunals, divorce applications and family proceedings, where a named translator and a Statement of Truth are expected.
The two options produce the same careful translation; what differs is who signs it and what the signature says. Standard certified translation, at £15.59 per page, carries our company certification and is what UKVI asks for. Our UK visa document translation service covers that side.
If you need both, say a marriage certificate for a divorce application and the same certificate later for a new visa, order the version for each use. They're different documents in the eyes of the people reading them, a fact that has kept the legal profession in business for some centuries.
About the author
Felipe Menendez
Head of Translation, VisaDocTranslation
Felipe leads the translation team at VisaDocTranslation, overseeing certified translations for UK visa, Home Office and HMCTS submissions. He sets the quality standards every translation is checked against and writes about what UKVI caseworkers actually look for.
More about our teamThe individual translator who made the translation signs it personally, confirming it is accurate and complete. That's the difference from a standard certified translation, which carries the translation company's certification.
Under the Civil Procedure Rules, yes. Practice Direction 32 says the translator must sign the original foreign-language witness statement and certify that the translation is accurate. Family proceedings require the translator to sign the translation to certify its accuracy.
Possibly, but courts usually expect a named translator who signs personally. If a visa translation carries only a company certification, it's safer to order the court option for proceedings.
No. The court option is delivered within one working day, without a rush tier, because the named translator reviews and signs every page.
Yes, and it's often the easiest way to work. The witness's statement is finalised in their own language, we translate it, and the translator certifies the translation. Ask your solicitor how they want the signing to be arranged.
UKVI-accepted certified translations from £15.59 per page. Statement of accuracy included. 24-hour delivery.
Certified legal translation for UK courts, solicitors, and immigration tribunals — from £15.59 per page with statement of accuracy.
Divorce decrees, final judgments and registered religious divorces translated and certified for UKVI, UK register offices and the Home Office. From £15.59 per page.
UKVI does NOT require notarised translations, so a certified translation is all you need for a UK visa. Sending documents to a US university, employer, DMV or court? Add US notarization online, per document.
Over 150,000 documents translated for UK applicants. Statement of accuracy, translator credentials and digital delivery — all included from £15.59 per page.
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